


Oliver, you're a terrible relationship coach

by MaryTagus



Series: Other Universes [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Oliver Queen POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 22:46:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5433620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryTagus/pseuds/MaryTagus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in a time where Queen Consolidated (QC) is still at the Queen’s family hands. Oliver Queen is Club owner but still goes to QC and visit Felicity Smoak at his own whim. Oliver and Felicity are friends and she’s always at the Club, supporting him. Until the day Oliver asks her to bring her roommate Anna by and the wheels start to move in a way Oliver Queen never predicted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oliver, you're a terrible relationship coach

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.” Oliver was having trouble convincing Felicity he was interested in her room mate.

“And you want me to take her to the Club.”

“Yes.”

“What if I can’t go?”

Why was she doing this? She was always going to the Club. It was his Club.

“You can’t go? That’s a surprise.”

“I’m not saying I can’t I’m just…” he felt the slap on his arm.

“Auch”

“Are you insinuating I’m at the Club too much?”

He kept his mouth shut. She was already pissed and he really wanted a chance to know her roommate. Intimately.

“You are. Mr Oliver Queen club owner is accusing me of being at his Club too much.”

I chose not to address her comment. They would fight for something that was pointless. He liked having her there. Felicity was the one person in that Club he could rely on for support.

“Can you take her or not?”

“Why would I?”

He smiled to himself.

“What would it take?” he would do it.

A split second past as she considered. He was expecting everything expect what she answer, that surprise him.

“I’ll take her.”

That was way too easy. Way too easy. Where was the catch?

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. I’m going to take her out. We will get to the Club I will introduce her to you.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

* * *

It went exactly like Felicity had said. Oliver was now sitting next to Felicity’s roommate Anna and talking his way in closer.

“Happy to know you, Anna.”

“How come I never met you before?”

“Felicity doesn’t like to talk about her private life.”

“That’s true. She does keep to herself. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend.”

“A boyfriend?”

Felicity had a boyfriend?

“Yeah. She’s being all secret about him though. I came here in hopes of knowing the guy. Instead I met Oliver Queen.” her flirty smile was exactly what he was looking for.

His plan run in the perfect smooth way he had planned. The only shadow was the bugging question in the back of his head. Who the hell was Felicity Smoak boyfriend?

The next morning he couldn’t stand not knowing, couldn’t stand she didn’t told him, couldn’t stand he didn’t see it. The high he was in, after his amazing time with Anna (that girl was amazingly flexible and knew how to please a guy), was gone all that remained from the night before was the nagging question about Felicity’s boyfriend.

As per usual Felicity was tipping like the world was coming to an end if she stopped.

“Good morning.” he sat on a chair in front of her.

“Someone is happy.”

“Anna is a wonderful women.”

“Glad you think so.”

Felicity was dismissing him. But he wasn’t going anywhere.

“She talks a lot.”

“A bit. I wouldn’t say a lot.”

“She told me you have a boyfriend. Who’s he?”

Felicity stop.

“I stand corrected.”

The sound of her fingers back at the keyboard annoyed him.

“So?”

She stop, again, and this time look at him intently.

“It’s my business.”

“I thought we trusted each other.”

“The fact I just introduce you to your latest fling, that happens to be my roommate, hardly makes us relationship coaches to one another.”

“Relationship?”

“Yes. Relationship. This may shock you but I’m not a one night stand kind of girl.”

He was glad she wasn’t but at the same time he was strangely angry at her. She didn’t trust him.

“Maybe you should try it sometime.” 

He got up and left her office. He was quick but not quick enough not to hear her answer 

“Maybe I should.”

* * *

From that day forward things were never really the same. They look the same. Felicity was there whenever he needed her, she was there as she always had before. But it just felt different he would say detached only it wasn’t, she was just as in tune with him as she ever was but… something was different and he couldn’t identify what it was.

A week gone pass and all the events and doubts were carefully recoiled to some place in the back of his head when Anna was back at the Club . This time alone.

“Hi.”

“Anna. This is a surprise.”

“I had fun the other night so I came back.”

Oliver wasn’t in the mood for an encore. He wasn’t an encore kind of guy.

“I see you are alone this time.”

“I think Felicity will be here later.”

Oliver ignored the flirty smiles and excused himself with the need of handling some imaginary issue with an employee.

Anna wasn’t alone for long. She was a beautiful and interesting woman she had no problems in getting company.

Felicity, on the other hand, didn’t show up that night at the Club.

 

* * *

 

“Saw Anna last night.”

“Oh?”

“She show up at the Club.”

Her silence force him to make a direct question.

“Anna was under the impression you were showing up later.”

“Don’t know what give her that idea. When she left I was getting ready for a night at home.”

“Will you show up tonight?”

“Don’t know. It depends.”

“On?”

“My mood.”

He just wanted shout. Instead he got up intending to leave her office.

“Is it your boyfriend? He doesn’t want you going to the Club?”

“Give me some credit Oliver. No one would prevent me from going where I wanted to go.”

“Which means YOU don’t want to go to the Club.”

“Which means I found that going to the Club every night wasn’t doing me much good.”

“And being at home every night is good for you.”

“Not really. But I’m still considering my options.”

He return to the chair.

“Felicity what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Don’t. Please don’t lie to me. It’s been more than a week since we talk outside this office.”

“I’m focussing on my work, Oliver. And less…”

“… on your personal life. Which includes the Club.”

“Yes.”

“Everyone needs, everyone deserves a personal life.”

“Maybe I don’t want one.”

“I can’t see your boyfriend agreeing to that.”

Her gentle smile made his stomach ache.

“Came to the Club tonight. I’ve missed you there.”

Oliver watched Felicity as she considered. It pain him she had to consider. It pain him she could say no.

“Okay.”

“Promise me?”

“I promise.”

 

* * *

 

Being that she promised it wasn’t a surprise seeing Felicity come down the Club steps. The surprise was she was alone. Oliver wanted to met this elusive boyfriend of hers.

“Thank you.”

“I had promise.”

“Yes you did. Where’s your boyfriend?”

“No boyfriend. I did consider something you told me and came to the conclusion that you are right.”

Her lips left a warm impression on his stubble covered cheek before she step away from him and into a group of regulars.

Oliver was left thinking back and wondering what had he said that she decided to act on. As he watch her move into the arms of Charles, an old acquaintance of his, and to the dancefloor with a flirty smile on her face he remember.

“No. Please not that.”

She had decided to follow up on his advice and enjoy a one night stand and from the looks of it she had already chosen her partner.

Every hand movement of Charles, up and down her back, tracing her every curve, made Oliver’s blood boil. He lost it the moment Charles hand rested dangerously close to her ass. He could hardly keep himself from stepping in before the music stopped for a beat.

“May I talk to you?”

He didn’t wait for her answer but he did hear her telling Charles she would be right back. That was not going to happen, not that night, not ever.

He didn’t stop until he had her in his office.

“What are you doing?”

“Having fun.”

“I thought you weren’t a one night stand kind of girl.”

“After what you told me I’ve been considering that women that do one night stands and casual hook-ups have the more fun.”

“What?”

“For instance Anna she hasn’t stayed home one night yet. She’s happy and thanks me everyday for introducing her to you.”

“And that’s the happiness you want for yourself?”

An awkward silence was his only answer.

“You are not Anna, Felicity. This isn’t you.”

“You do not know enough about me to know that.”

“I know enough. Trust me.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“In this particular issue I do not trust you, Oliver. Now if you are finish with the lecture I’m getting back.”

“Felicity…”

The only answer he got this time was the sound of a door closing.

What was he thinking when he told her she should try to be a one night stand kind of girl? He didn’t want her doing that. Not with Charles, not with anyone.

He almost run outside, after her, but Felicity and Charles were nowhere to be found. He was too late, even as he rushed to the Club main entrance he knew he was too late.

 

* * *

 

“Good morning.”

Felicity looked up at him with baggy eyes that made him partially lose reins on his anger. 

He had all night to control his anger, the main reasoning, he had no right to be angry. She was nothing more than a friend, he had no right to be angry she had sleep with some guy that kept the score high. 

But as soon as he saw the bags under her eyes all his good intentions were gone.

“Good morning, Oliver.”

“Had fun?”

“Yes. A lot of fun.”

“I stand corrected, by the way.”

“Oh?”

“I really wished you hadn’t come to the Club last night.”

“Really?”

“You took Charles into your bed, Felicity.” he couldn’t even say the right word for what happen.

“I fail to see how that’s different from you and Anna. No wait it his different I took her to your bed, in a way.”

“She’s a big girl. She makes her own decisions.”

Felicity smile. He just undermine the speech he had prepared.

“She is. As am I.”

“You made your point.”

“You think I was just making a point?”

“Yes. You are not that kind of girl, Felicity.”

“I give you that, in the past. I wasn’t that kind of girl because I was boring, a sad excuse for a young woman. Now I will get wild and fun and live outside these walls.”

“You are the kind of girl that deserves a guy that loves her, that takes care of her. That isn’t Charles.”

“You are right. He’s not. He’s going to get old and still be jumping from bed to bed.”

“And don’t you think that is a sad thing?”

“For me? Yes. Without a doubt.”

“For anyone.” 

“For you?”

For him? What did she mean? He wasn’t like Charles, was he? For sure he had a lot of ex’s under his belt but he had women in his life. He struggle to recall all of them but, either than his family, the only one that came to mind was sitting in front of him.

“Yes.”

Felicity nodded.

“I’ll keep looking for that man then. It’s not like he’s going to ring my doorbell.”

No Charles, was pretty much the only thing he got from their conversation. And he was happy he managed  to get Felicity out of his claws as he left her office.

 

* * *

 

The days went by and things were almost back as they always were. Felicity would came to the Club some nights.

Nights went better when she was around. In a strange twisted way he learned to appreciate every moment she was there more then he use to. 

Oliver would never stop missing her when she was not there. Her absences were nights to forget. 

He wasn’t expecting that the worse night of his life would be with Felicity around. Nothing had ever shocked him more than Felicity wearing the most clinging black dress he ever seen. Short, up her mid thigh, cut in all places decorum allow skin to be shown. And it did show skin, a lot of it. Alabaster against pure black was striking. All her body, all the curves, all was revealed. His appreciation turn to chagrin as a stranger’s hand came and touched the skin at the small of her back. And Felicity smile to the man, not just flirting, there was a bit more to it than that, he could see it, even standing afar he could see it.

Oliver walked up to the couple raining in his true feelings and plastering a smile on his lips.

“Hello.”

“Oliver, hi. Ray, Oliver. He owns the Club.”

“A pleasure, Ray Palmer.”

“Oliver Queen.”

“Oliver Queen? The Oliver Queen?”

“Yes.”

“A pleasure to met you. I’ve met your father once. My condolences by the way.”

“Thank you. Enjoy yourselfs.”

He had to leave. This caught him by surprise. He felt the change of pace, the different grain of Ray Palmer. He had nothing to do with the regular guy looking for a hook-up he was the kind of man that was into relationships.

Felicity was now looking for a serious relationship. Like he told her, she had search and, from the looks of it, found a man that liked her, that treat her right. She was following his advice. Then why was he fighting the need to walk in and take her away from him, like he did when she was with Charles the other night?

Across the dancefloor near the bar Oliver was in his own private hell. And Felicity was queen. Every laugh, every touch between the two, stung. He set the glass down the high table. If he kept it at hand he would be drunk, fast. He tried not to look but the sound of her voice made him turn and look back at them. 

And that dress, that damn gorgeous revealing dress, it fitted her in all the right places leaving his imagination to run wild, picturing all the few parts it didn’t show. He was reeling, wanting, needing like he never had before with anyone. It was Hell in a nutshell.

“Hi”

Anna was right by his side with a small smile on her lips. She was nicely dressed, the blue dress perfect for her complexion and body type, but she was just a shadow to him. And that’s when it dawn on him. That’s it, that was exactly the moment all turned South. When he asked Felicity to bring Anna to the Club and introduce her to him. Up until that moment things were great, Felicity was there with him at the Club every night, carefree, funny and he was happy. Looking back those had been the happiest times he had for years. Then he pushed the Anna agenda and that had set some kind of wheel in motion, and that wheel had brought them to this moment.

“Anna. Hi. Tonight I know you are not with Felicity.”

“No. She’s on her first date with Ray. And by the looks of it she’s having a good time.”

Oliver tried to utter the words that were expected of him but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t. Thankfully Anna didn’t need much encouragement.

“She met him online, over work.”

Online? 

“First date and blind date.”

Anna hadn’t hear him or at least she didn’t seem to.

“Well. I was wrong before, you know. Felicity acted like there was a man in her life but turns out he wasn’t her boyfriend and, I don’t know why or how, but he’s out of the picture.”

“I thought you knew the guy?”

“No.” Anna laugh made him angry. This woman had no shame. She came to him stating Felicity had a boyfriend, a secret boyfriend, that, from what he was now understanding, Anna was pretty much imagining up in her head, and she was laughing? “Felicity never even told me his name. I’m not sure she even understood how invested she was with the guy. Glad she’s out of it though. She’s beautiful and wonderful. She deserves someone that recognizes that. Don’t think the guy did. The prick just left her hanging there. I’m glad she’s moving on.”

He wasn’t. And all Anna’s words came dangerously close to home making him hopeful and defeated at the sametime. Felicity was there for him like… yes, like a girlfriend, for so long but she was never that, not to him. She was a friend, and he was comfortable, he was happy. Anna was right he had been a prick he was blind but not anymore.

He almost had her and now he was on the verge of losing her.

“So she accepted a blind date with a man she doesn’t know.”

“Everyone knows Ray Palmer, Oliver. The youngest millionaire CEO in the city. I’m surprise you don’t recognize him.”

Oliver focus on the man’s face for a beat. It wasn’t totally unfamiliar but he didn’t recognize him. Maybe it was his happy face he didn’t recognize. He return his look to Anna, it was safer.

“I really don’t.”

“He’s more of a day and at home person I’m told. Like Felicity.”

That wasn’t the Felicity he knew. She was always at the Club, before.

“Felicity likes the night and the clubbing.”

“Felicity liked to come here, Oliver. But what she enjoys the most is stay home, wrapped in a blanket. She’s been fighting that need for a long time now but I’m happy she finally found someone that will enjoy that with her.”

The image was as unwelcome as it was comfortable. He and Felicity cuddling in the couch, holding each other, kissing, caressing…  He reached for his drink. He needed alcohol. He needed to stop daydreaming. It didn’t help Felicity was right across the dancefloor from him waving a goodbye. He almost missed her waive as Ray’s hand was touching her bare skin once again and he felt the itch in his fingertips almost like he was the one touching her.

As the couple moved out of sight Oliver drank the rest of his drink.

“Hey. You okay?”

“Yeah. Sure.” he forced a smile as his mind conjured every image it could of Felicity and Ray in bed together. And he needed another drink. “Excuse me.”

 

* * *

 

Oliver was a club owner and night party regular for years he was able to recognized his own drunkenness. He entertained the thought that with drinking came numbness and oblivion, but it didn’t happen. Felicity was, if possible, even more present in his mind. And he couldn’t take it, he couldn’t wait for the next morning, he had to see her, to tell her he loved her.

“Oh God.”

He had to sit. With drunkenness came the freedom of thought and a strange kind of clarity as all assumptions and presumptions were off. It was suddenly clear in his mind he was inlove with Felicity.

Felicity’s face spinning in his head at the rythm of the drumming that was the blood flowing through his veins. Smiling at him, happy. He missed that so much. He need it back.

The phone was in his hand before he even thought about what he was doing. Her face there too, looking back at him. He terminated the call. He was drunk, he knew he was drunk, what would he tell her? What was there to say. He pretty much missed the step and she had moved on.

Oliver felt tired and the couch look cosy enough. He was too drunk to drive so he was stuck here for the remainder of the night, better get comfortable. As he laid his head on his poorly wrapped jacket he was fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

As the first rays of light poured inside Oliver was sure to have open his eyes, but he probably hadn’t as her face was still there in front of him.

“Good morning. Coffee?”

It wasn’t a dream. She was really there sitting on the floor in front of him.

“Felicity?”

“Yes. Not very good coffee. You know me.”

He managed to sit and took the mug. It was pretty lousy coffee but the smell was enough to make him sigh with delight.

“You’re here.”

“You called me, remember.”

He had a vague recollection of that.

“I hung up.”

Felicity nodded. “Still.”

He bit his tongue as the question about Ray was burning to be outed.

“Never seen you get drunk before, Oliver.”

“It’s not an experience I need repeating.”

“What happen?”

I was an ass, Ray was all over you, touching you. I want to be the one doing that.

“Nothing. Really.”

“I was worried about you, Oliver.”

“Sorry.”

“I was right to be worried. I know I was. You never get drunk, ever. Something happen you just don’t trust me enough to tell me. But that’s okay. Put’s me in my place I guess.”

What was she saying? What did he say to make her talk like that?

“Your place is with me, Felicity.”

“Then say it, be honest about it.”

“Say what, Felicity? That I messed up? That I love you? That I need you? That watching you yesterday made me lose it? That watching Ray touch you got me over the edge and I tried to find solace on the oblivion I figured I would get at the bottom of a glass? Didn’t find it by the way.”

“You love me?”

Did he tell her that? In all his babbling he said it? Oliver struggle with is half numb brain to gave her the answer she deserved.

“Yes I do. You mean everything to me, Felicity.”

Her lips tasted like the coffee he just drank but he would take the crappiest coffee in the world from her lips and found it the tastiest essence on Earth. His head was still spinning but this time from her kiss, that left him wanting more. Her forehead sweet cold over his feverish one.

“Glad you said it awake.”

He knew he sometimes talked in his sleep but this was a bit unexpected.

“I was drunk.”

“You were dreaming.”

Oliver smile.

“I’m awake now.”

This time he hold her tight against him. He wasn’t letting go. He was going to take his time, enjoying her taste, her warmth, all the nice curves he ached to feel since the night before.


End file.
